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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lie — to recline
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stem — to come from
  23. craft — boats
  24. pound — to hit hard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com